A trial by jury is the latest chapter in a years-long dispute that has played out publicly on social media platforms and sparked a separate civil rights lawsuit filed by Park Meadows resident Michael Franchek.
Franchek was involved in a confrontation with Park City Police on September 29th, 2019 that resulted in Franchek being arrested and charged with interfering with an arresting officer, failure to disclose his identity, and disorderly conduct.
According to police records, the incident began with a complaint of two men having a loud argument in the street on Racquet Club Drive and Spaulding Court.
After police arrived on the scene, officers attempted to question Franchek, but when he refused to answer questions or come out of his house, officers entered and attempted to arrest him.
The case against Franchek will now go to trial, with a date set for May 20th. The charges of interfering with an arresting officer and failure to disclose his identity are both class B misdemeanors, which carry a sentence of up to six months in jail and up to $1,000 in fines. Disorderly conduct is an infraction and carries fines of up to $750 dollars.
The ordeal was captured on video by Franchek’s teenage son and went viral soon after the arrest with hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube and millions on Facebook and other social media platforms. Franchek also filed a federal lawsuit against Park City last fall, alleging his and his son’s civil rights were violated during the confrontation. Franchek is asking for a written and verbal apology from the city and seeks over $900,000 in damages.
Park City Municipal declined to comment on the case. When reached for comment, Franchek told KPCW he would have to consult his legal counsel before giving an official statement. An attorney representing Franchek did not immediately return a request for comment.
Franchek was a city council candidate in last fall’s municipal election and told KPCW on Tuesday that he filed to run for a seat on the Summit County Council this November too.
